Surface Getting Started Guide

S3000, S5000, S7000

 Before starting please check www.allen-heath.com for the latest dLive

firmware and documentation.

AP9899
 Limited One Year Manufacturer’s Warranty

Allen & Heath warrants the Allen &Heath -branded hardware product and accessories contained in the
original packaging ("Allen & Heath Product”) against defects in materials and workmanship when used
in accordance with Allen & Heath's user manuals, technical specifications and other Allen & Heath
product published guidelines for a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the date of original purchase by the
end-user purchaser ("Warranty Period").
This warranty does not apply to any non-Allen & Heath branded hardware products or any software,
even if packaged or sold with Allen & Heath hardware.
Please refer to the licensing agreement accompanying the software for details of your rights with respect
to the use of software/firmware (“EULA”).
Details of the EULA, warranty policy and other useful information can be found on the Allen & Heath
website: www.allen-heath.com/legal.
Repair or replacement under the terms of the warranty does not provide right to extension or renewal of
the warranty period. Repair or direct replacement of the product under the terms of this warranty may be
fulfilled with functionally equivalent service exchange units.
This warranty is not transferable. This warranty will be the purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedy and
neither Allen & Heath nor its approved service centres shall be liable for any incidental or consequential
damages or breach of any express or implied warranty of this product.

Conditions Of Warranty
The equipment has not been subject to misuse either intended or accidental, neglect, or alteration other
than as described in the User Guide or Service Manual, or approved by Allen & Heath. The warranty
does not cover fader wear and tear.
Any necessary adjustment, alteration or repair has been carried out by an authorised Allen & Heath
distributor or agent.
The defective unit is to be returned carriage prepaid to the place of purchase, an authorised Allen &
Heath distributor or agent with proof of purchase. Please discuss this with the distributor or the agent
before shipping. Units returned should be packed in the original carton to avoid transit damage.

DISCLAIMER: Allen & Heath shall not be liable for the loss of any saved/stored data in products that are
either repaired or replaced.

Check with your Allen & Heath distributor or agent for any additional warranty information which may
apply. If further assistance is required please contact Allen & Heath Ltd.

dLive products comply with the European Electromagnetic Compatibility

directive 2004/108/EC and the European Low Voltage directive
2006/95/EC.

Any changes or modifications to the product not approved by Allen & Heath
could void the compliance of the product and therefore the user’s authority to
operate it.

dLive Surface Getting Started Guide

Copyright © 2015 Allen & Heath. All rights reserved.

ALLEN&HEATH
Allen & Heath Limited, Kernick Industrial Estate, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9LU, UK
http://www.allen-heath.com

Surface Getting Started Guide 2 AP9899 Issue 2

IMPORTANT - Read before starting

Safety instructions
Before starting, read the Important Safety Instructions printed on the sheet supplied with the equipment.
For your own safety and that of the operator, technical crew and performers, follow all instructions and heed
all warnings printed on the sheet and on the equipment panels.

System operating firmware

The function of the dLive Surface is determined by the firmware (operating software) that runs it. Firmware
is updated regularly as new features are added and improvements made.
 Check www.allen-heath.com for the latest version of dLive firmware.

Software licence agreement

By using this Allen & Heath product and the software within it you agree to be bound by the terms of the
relevant End User Licence Agreement (EULA), a copy of which can be found at www.allen-
heath.com/legal. You agree to be bound by the terms of the EULA by installing, copying, or using the
software.

Further information
Please refer to the Allen & Heath website for further information, knowledgebase and technical support.
For more information on dLive setup and mixing functions please refer to the dLive Firmware Reference
Guide available for download at www.allen-heath.com.
 Check for the latest version of this Getting Started Guide.
You can also join our Allen & Heath Digital Community to share knowledge and information with other dLive
users.

General precautions
 Protect the equipment from damage through liquid or dust contamination. Cover the Surface when
it is not being used for a long period.

 If the equipment has been stored in sub-zero temperatures allow time for it to reach normal
operating temperature before use at the venue. Recommended operating temperature is 0 to 35
degrees Celsius.

 Avoid using the equipment in extreme heat and direct sunlight. Make sure the ventilation slots are
not obstructed and that there is adequate air movement around the equipment.

 Clean the equipment with a soft brush and dry lint-free cloth. Do not use chemicals, abrasives or
solvents.

 It is recommended that servicing is carried out only by an authorised Allen & Heath agent. Contact
details for your local distributor can be found on the Allen & Heath website. Allen & Heath do not
accept liability for damage caused by maintenance, repair or modification by unauthorised
personnel.

 To prevent damage to the controls and cosmetics, avoid placing heavy objects on the control
surface, scratching the surface or touchscreen with sharp objects, or rough handling and vibration.

Register your product

Register your product online at www.allen-heath.com/register.

Surface Getting Started Guide 3 AP9899 Issue 2

Packed items
Check you have received the following:

 dLive Surface

 Getting Started Guide AP9899

 Safety Sheet

 IEC mains lead

 Dust cover

Contents
IMPORTANT - Read before starting ............................................................................................................ 3
Packed items ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Contents ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
1. Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 dLive Surfaces ........................................................................................................................ 5
2. Rear Panel ....................................................................................................................................... 7
3. Front Panel .................................................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Harmony UI – processing screen .......................................................................................... 12
3.2 Harmony UI – system screen ................................................................................................ 13
3.3 Fader strip ............................................................................................................................. 15
3.4 Working with the Mix ............................................................................................................. 16
4. Connect and power up .................................................................................................................. 17
4.1 MixRack connection .............................................................................................................. 17
4.2 Recall a Template Show ....................................................................................................... 17
4.3 Expander connection ............................................................................................................ 17
4.4 Connect a laptop or wireless router ...................................................................................... 18
5. Dimensions .................................................................................................................................... 19
6. Technical specs ............................................................................................................................. 20

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1. Introduction
dLive is a distributed digital mixing system providing a uniquely flexible solution for any live sound
application. It separates the mix engine from the control surface, putting the audio and processing where it
is needed, and offering a host of control and audio networking possibilities. Refer to the Allen & Heath
website to find out more about dLive.
The MixRack is the heart of any dLive system. It houses the XCVI processing core complete with audio I/O,
control and audio networking ports. The Surface is effectively a network controller for the MixRack, with the
addition of built-in audio I/O and audio networking ports. The system can be expanded by adding up to 3
DX32 modular racks, and is compatible with the ME personal mixing system.

1.1 dLive Surfaces

There are 3 sizes of dLive Surface available. All feature the same I/O and differ only in the number of faders
and touchscreens.
dLive Surface features at a glance:

 Fully assignable layout

 Harmony UI – integrated screen and ‘wrap-around’ controls
 Single or twin 12” capacitive touchscreen
 Gesture control – pinch, swipe, drag ‘n drop
 Configurable widget areas for Scenes, meters, FX and more
 3 pages of assignable rotaries per screen
 26 assignable SoftKeys
 Engineer’s Wedge and IEM fader strips
 Comprehensive multipoint metering
 Daylight visibility
 USB stereo recording and playback
 Dual redundant, hot swappable power supply

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 S3000
20 faders, 6 layers = 120 strips
Single screen

S5000
28 faders, 6 layers = 168 strips
Twin screen

S7000
36 faders, 6 layers = 216 strips
Twin screen

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2. Rear Panel

5 7

1 2 3 4 6 8

1
Mic/Line inputs – 8x recallable preamps for balanced or unbalanced
microphone and line level signals. Gain, Pad and 48V are digitally controlled within
the preamp.
The PP indicator lights up when phantom power voltage is detected at the socket,
whether internally or externally sourced.
Any socket can be patched to any Input Channel using the I/O or Processing /
Preamp screen.

2
Digital inputs – 2x stereo AES3 inputs (32kHz – 96kHz sampling rate).
Sample Rate Conversion can be bypassed.
Any socket can be patched to any Input Channel using the I/O or Processing /
Preamp screen.

3
Line outputs – 8x line level, balanced XLR outputs. Nominal level +4dBu.
The outputs are relay protected to prevent power on or off thumps.
Signals can be patched to any output socket using the I/O screen.

4
Digital outputs – 3x stereo AES3 outputs (48kHz or 96kHz switchable).
Signals can be patched to any output socket using the I/O screen.

5
I/O Ports – 2x audio interface ports 128x128 channels each, independently
assigned. Fit one of the option cards available for system expansion, digital mic
splitting, recording or distributed audio networking. Refer to www.allen-heath.com for
a list of available option cards.

 iLive / GLD option cards (M-Dante, M-Waves, M-ES-V2, M-ACE, M-MADI) can be
used with dLive when fitted with the M-DL-ADAPT ‘letter-box’ adapter. This
provides a 64x64 48kHz interface with built-in Sample Rate Conversion.

ALLEN&HEATH
GigE Lnk/Act

Lnk/Act Lnk/Act

Control Network Primary Secondary

Use the I/O screen to patch signals from or to the I/O Ports.

6
Status indicators – Power ON indicators for the 2 power supplies. The
Ready indicator lights up when the output sockets are ready to pass audio after power
up. Audio Sync Locked indicates a valid clock source.

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 7
Kensington Lock - A slot for fitting standard Kensington anti-theft security
devices.

8
Power Supply – Hot swappable power supply with mains IEC socket and
On/Off rocker switch. To remove or replace, loosen the 4 screws indicated below and
slide the PSU out of the slot.

 dLive Surfaces ship with one PSU fitted. A second PSU can be fitted for
redundancy (part number MPS-16). Loosen the 4 captive thumb screws securing
the blank panel*, slide the PSU into the slot, and tighten the 4 captive thumb
screws indicated above. The Surface will automatically switch between the
supplies without interruption to the audio should one fail.
* On early dLive units, remove the 4 screws securing the blank panel using a star Torx T8
screwdriver.

 Heed the safety warnings printed on the panel.

A plastic P-clip cable clamp is provided to secure the mains cable. Slot the cable in
or lock it in place using a star Torx T20 screwdriver to refit the clamp around the cable.

13 14

11 12 9 10

9
Network – 2 RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet ports. Connect a laptop or a wireless
router to use with dLive Editor or iOS apps. All devices on the network must have
compatible IP addresses.

10
gigaACE link – MixRack to Surface link over Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE 802.3
Layer 2 compliant). A single Cat5e (or higher) cable carries bidirectional 96kHz audio
and control. Use two cables for redundancy – the system will seamlessly switch cable
in case of failures, without any audio dropout.

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 11
DX links – Dual redundant EtherCon port for connection of a DX expander
over Fast Ethernet (IEEE 802.3 Layer 2 compliant). A single Cat5e (or higher) cable
carries 32x32 channels of 96kHz audio and control. Use two cables for redundancy.

Use the I/O screen to patch signals from or to the DX expanders.

12
Word Clock I/O - BNC connectors for syncing from an external audio clock
or providing a clock to other devices.

13
USB – USB A port for file transfer, archive and firmware update using standard
USB drives.

14
Screen Out – VGA port for connection of an external monitor. The external
monitor can mirror either of the touchscreen views. Use the Surface / Screen screen
to configure.
 External touchscreens are not supported.

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 3. Front Panel

2 3

4
1
5

16
9

15

10

14

13 12 11

1
Channel Processing – Press a fader strip Sel key to access the
processing for the input or mix channel assigned to it. Read the Harmony UI
paragraph below for further information.

2
Touchscreen – Single or twin 12” capacitive touchscreen with gesture
control and daylight visibility. Read the Harmony UI paragraph below for further
information.

3
Main / PAFL meters – LCR meters with PAFL active indicator. Press PAFL
Clear to cancel any active PAFL.

4
USB ports – The upper port is dedicated to stereo WAV file recording and
playback. The lower port is for data transfer of Show files, Libraries, event logs and
firmware updates.

Surface Getting Started Guide 10 AP9899 Issue 2

 5
SoftKeys – 26 user assignable keys. Assign functions using the Surface /
Control / SoftKeys screen.

6
Talkback – Press to Talk latching or momentary key and Talk Active
indicator. Hold down Assign and press any master Mix key to assign.

7
Home – Press to restore a familiar state of the Surface. Home restores default
active layers, screen modes, active Mix, strip rotary mode and channel LCD view.
 Home does not affect channel processing, strip layout, illumination or any other
setting which is stored in Scenes.

8
Scene navigation – Press Go to recall the Next scene as indicated in the
upper right corner of the system screen. This Scene is highlighted in green in the
Scenes menu and Scenes widget. Use the Prev and Next keys to select the Next
scene before recalling.
Hold down Reset and press Go to Undo an accidental recall and restore previous
settings.
Store - Save current settings into the Current scene as indicated in the upper left
corner of the system screen. This Scene is highlighted in yellow in the Scenes menu
and Scenes widget.
 Auto Store automatically stores the current (last recalled) Scene any time another
Scene is recalled. The LED lights to indicate this option is active.
New - Save current settings into a new, empty Scene. The next available scene
memory location will be populated with current settings.
Update - Update one or more parameters or channels in a specific Scene (or range
of Scenes) to current settings / values.

9
Strip rotary mode – Select the function of the fader strip rotary encoders.
The fader strip rotaries can control preamp Gain, Pan, Sends to the active Mix, and 4
assignable functions. Assign these using the Surface / Control / Preferences screen.
The colour of the rotary LED matches the active function e.g. red for Gain, yellow for
Pad; it follows the colour of the active Mix when in Sends mode.
The Sends function puts control of send levels to the active Mix on the strip rotaries,
while the faders control the channel levels to the main mix i.e. it temporarily inhibits
‘sends on faders’.

10
Layers – Navigate 6 layers of fader strips per each bank. The red peak
indicators light up when any channel in the associated layer is within 5dB of clipping,
so you can keep a check on signal activity across the layers.
Banks can be linked using the Surface / Control / Preferences screen – the Layer
keys will affect all linked banks. For example you might want all input strips across 2
banks to stay ‘in sync’ when changing layer.

11
Safes – Hold down and press a strip Mix key to make the channel safe from
Scene recall. To make only a selection of parameters safe, use the Scenes / Scene
Safes screen.
Freeze in Layers – Hold down and press a strip Mix key to lock a channel in place
across all layers.
GEQ on Faders – Presents the GEQ for a selected mix on the faders. Press to toggle
between high and low frequencies (S3000, S5000) and exit. Frequency values are
shown on the strip LCD displays and the strip meters show RTA activity of each
frequency band and peak band indication. This is useful for ringing out monitors or
identifying trouble frequencies.
The mix master fader is presented on the right hand strip while in this mode.

12
Phones - Standard 1/4” and 1/8” jack sockets are located under the armrest.
The S5000 and S7000 have 2 sets of headphone outputs.

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 13
Fader Strips – Provide control of Input channels, FX returns, Mix masters,
DCAs, engineer’s Wedge / IEM monitor, or MIDI. Read the Fader Strip paragraph
below for further information.
The strip layout is user assignable and stored in Scenes. Use the Surface / Control /
Strip Assign screen to edit the strip layout.

14
Copy – Hold down and press:
 A strip Sel key to copy the channel processing.
 A strip Mix key to copy the mix assignments and send levels.
 Any highlighted area of the touchscreen to copy the settings of a specific
processing block.
Paste - Hold down and press a Sel key, Mix key or highlighted area of the
touchscreen to paste copied settings.
Reset - Hold down and press a Sel key, Mix key or highlighted area of the
touchscreen to reset the related parameters to factory default.
Hold down Reset and nudge a fader up or down to quickly set it to 0dB or off.

15
Assign – Hold down and press a strip Mix key to toggle its assignment to the
active Mix on or off.
Pre/Post – Hold down and press a strip Sel key to toggle sends to the active Mix pre
or post fade.
Toggle all channels on/off or pre/post by pressing a master Mix or Sel.
Assignments and pre/post settings for the selected channel or Mix are also available
in the Routing screen.

16
LCD Display mode – Select the information shown in the strip LCD
Displays. Read the Fader Strip paragraph below for further information.

3.1 Harmony UI – processing screen

The left screen on the S5000 and S7000 is dedicated to channel processing. The S3000 incorporates this
screen into the system screen.
dLive integrates the touchscreen with a set of ‘wrap-around’ controls colour-coded for intuitive and quick
operation. Dedicated areas of the screen display values and status of the corresponding controls; some
are configurable or user assignable (widget areas). Tapping on any of these areas will open the associated
tab in the main screen area.

1 1 8
8
Main screen area

2
2

3 5
7
4
6

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 1
Preamp – Peak indicator and dedicated preamp controls for analogue Gain,
Digital Trim, 48V, Pad and polarity.

2
Filters – HPF and LPF Frequency and In switch.
3
Insert – Insert In switch and Assigned indicator. The indicator is lit when any
of the channel Insert points is assigned.

4
Lib – Press to access the preset Library for the channel or processing block in
focus. A popup menu lets you Recall, Store, Overwrite or Delete libraries. Press Lib
again to exit.
Setup – Hold down and tap on any highlighted area of the screens to configure it. For
example, touch a widget area to set up functions, views or controls. Touch on the
main screen area to access options further to those displayed.
Listen – Hold down and tap on any highlighted area of the screen to listen to that
point in the signal path of the selected channel. The signal temporarily overwrites the
PAFL bus and associated meters.

5
PEQ – In switch, peak indicator and Width, Frequency, Gain controls for the
4 bands of parametric EQ.
A dedicated area of the screen displays the PEQ parameters and/or response curve,
either individually for the 4 bands or full range. Hold down Setup and touch this area
to configure. Press View to toggle between the configured views.

6
Touch & Turn – Touch a parameter or setting in the main screen area and
adjust its value with the rotary control.

7
Help – Press to display a brief contextual help for the active screen.
8
Soft Rotaries – 2 blocks of 3 assignable rotaries over 3 layers, per screen.
Each block has its own In switch and peak indicator.
A dedicated area of the screen displays the parameters for the assigned controls and
thumbnail indicators where available. Hold down Setup and touch this area to
configure. Press the keys on top of the rotaries, or swipe within the widget area to
toggle between the 3 layers.
 Note that the Soft Rotaries can be configured to follow channel selection, active
Mix or to be locked to a specific channel.

3.2 Harmony UI – system screen

The system screen (right screen on the S5000 and S7000) displays status, system setup, memory
management menus and more.

1 5

Main screen area 6

2
4

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 1
Left widget area – Can be configured for different functions, for example
as a scrollable Scenes list. Hold down Setup and touch this area to configure.
On the S3000 this area is dedicated to the channel processing.

2
Bottom widget area – Can be configured for different functions, for
example as a scrollable meter-bridge. Hold down Setup and touch this area to
configure. Press View to toggle between the configured views.

3
Rotary control – Adjusts the value of the parameter highlighted in yellow
on the main screen area.

4
Help – Press to display a brief contextual help for the active screen.
5
Soft Rotaries – 2 blocks of 3 assignable rotaries over 3 layers, per screen.
Each block has its own In switch and peak indicator.
A dedicated area of the screen displays the parameters for the assigned controls and
thumbnail indicators where available. Hold down Setup and touch this area to
configure. Press the keys on top of the rotaries, or swipe within the widget area to
toggle between the 3 layers.
 Note that the Soft Rotaries can be configured to follow channel selection, active
Mix or to be locked to a specific channel.

6
Screen modes – Press to select the menus for the main screen area.

Meters – Access to Input meters, FX meters, Mix meters, RTA, spectrogram, and 4
customisable meter views.
FX – View, load and set up the 16 RackFX units. The Back Panel view lets you patch
each unit as inserted or send/return.
I/O – Patch system inputs and outputs by tapping on crosspoints.
Scenes – Access to Scene Manager, Cue Lists and Scene Safes.
Ganging – Create up to 16 gang groups to link selected parameters across multiple
channels.
MixRack Setup – Access to mixer bus configuration, Input stereo configuration,
Network settings, User Profiles, Talkback assignments, Signal Generator, Audio Sync
and I/O Ports options.
Surface Setup – Assignments of fader strip layout, SoftKeys and custom rotary
functions. Control of Surface illumination and USB Audio playback / recording. Access
to PAFL options and Network settings.
Util/Shows – Access to Show Manager, Library Manager, system diagnostics, screen
and fader calibration, firmware update and MIDI MMC.
Routing – Access to routing and assignments for the selected channel.
Processing (S3000) – Channel processing screen for the selected channel.
When no screen mode is selected, a System Status dashboard is displayed. Touch
Power Down in this screen to safely power down the Surface before switching off.

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3.3 Fader strip

Meter – 22-segment signal meter and 6-segment gain reduction meter. The meter
displays audio signal activity for the channel.
The red peak indicator lights to warn that the signal is within 5dB of clipping. It is multi-
point sensing which means it detects peak activity at several points in the signal path.
If it lights before the rest of the meter, check signal activity in the processing screen.
 To set the global meter source point for Input channels and Mix masters, hold
down Setup and touch the main screen area in the Meters / Inputs or Meters /
Mix screen.
LCD Display – Displays information about the channel, including name and colour.

Stereo Strip type

Channel has been made
Safe from Scene recall
User-defined
backlight Colour
St
IP DCA
Channel is assigned to
one or more DCA groups
Strip rotary – Their function is
selected using the strip rotary mode
keys as described earlier in this
NAME Use the LCD Display Mode
keys to display the user-
chapter. The rotaries can control defined channel Name, the
preamp Gain, Pan, Sends to the fader position in dB, the DSP
active Mix, and 4 assignable channel number, or the I/O
functions. The colour of the rotary Aux PRE socket identifier of the
LED matches the active function patched source / destination.
e.g. red for Gain, yellow for Pad; it
I/O sockets are displayed as
follows the colour of the active Mix
follows:
when in Sends mode. The value is
displayed in the LCD display. Assignment to the R-nn = MixRack
active Mix, Mix type S-nn = Surface
and pre/post setting DXn-nn = DX Expander port
number and socket number
USB = USB playback/recording
Pn-nn = I/O Port number and
channel number
FX-n = RackExtra FX unit
number
SigGen = Internal Signal
Generator

Mute – Turns off the channel signal. Affects the main mix, pre-fade and post-fade
sends. The Muted LED lights when the channel is muted by a DCA or Mute Group.
Sel – Selects the channel for use with the Processing and Routing screens. The
channel strip controls become active to control processing for the channel.
 The currently selected channel is displayed in the top left corner of the
Processing screen.
Mix – Puts the send levels and assignments of the associated channel or masters onto
the fader strips (or strip rotaries when rotaries are in Sends mode). See the next
paragraph for examples of use.
 The currently active Mix is displayed in the top right corner of the Processing
screen. Press an active Mix key to return to the main mix.
PAFL – Sends the channel signal PFL (pre-fade listen) or AFL (after-fade listen) to the
headphones and monitoring system. Preferences for the PAFL system are set using
the Surface / Audio / PAFL screen.

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3.4 Working with the Mix

Normal mix mode (FOH) Main Mix active

Press a Main Mix master strip Mix key.
IP 1 IP 2 IP 3 IP 4 IP 5 IP 6 IP 7 IP 8 Aux1 Aux2 Aux3 LR
ON hold This is the normal mixing mode. The Input strips
down present the channel faders. The Master strips
+ press Mix Assign Routing

Mix
Mix
present the master mix faders.
Hold down the Assign key and press channel
Mix keys to assign or unassign them from the
Channel faders Master faders main mix. Current ON status is displayed on the
lower part of the strip LCDs.

Master Mix view Access Aux, FX, Matrix mix on faders

Press a Mix master strip Mix key.
IP 1 IP 2 IP 3 IP 4 IP 5 IP 6 IP 7 IP 8 Aux1 Aux2 Aux3 Aux4
Use this to work with Aux and FX sends. The
ON PRE hold
down Input strips present all the send levels to the
+ press Sel Pre/Post
 all Sel
active Mix. The Master strips present the master
mix faders.
+ press Mix Assign Routing
 all Mix

Hold down the Assign key and press channel

Mix keys to assign or unassign them from the
active Mix.
All sends to one master Master faders Hold down the Pre/Post key and press channel
Sel keys to toggle each source pre or post fader.
Current PRE status is displayed on the lower part
of the channel strip LCDs.
You can quickly set all assignments on or off, or
all sources pre or post fader by pressing the
Master strip Mix or Sel key.

Channel Mix view

Press an Input Channel strip Mix key.
IP 4 IP 5 IP 6 IP 7 IP 8
hold
Aux1 Aux2 Aux3 Aux4
Use this to work with Aux and FX sends. The Input
PRE ON
down strips remain as Channel Faders. The Master
Pre/Post
 Sel strips present all sends from the Input channel.
Hold down the Assign key and press master Mix
Assign Routing
 Mix keys to assign or unassign the channel from each
mix.
Hold down the Pre/Post key and press master Sel
keys to toggle the channel pre or post fader to
each mix. Current PRE status is displayed on the
Channel faders All sends from one input master strip LCDs.

DCA and Audio Group assign

Press a Group Master strip Mix key.
IP 4
DCA
IP 5 IP 6 IP 7 IP 8 Grp1 Grp2 DCA1 DCA2 Use this to assign channels to the Audio and DCA
ON hold groups. The Input and Master faders are not
down affected.
+ press Mix Assign all
 Mix
Hold down the Assign key and press channel Mix
keys to assign or unassign the channels from the
group.

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4. Connect and power up
4.1 MixRack connection
Plug a touring grade CAT5e (or higher specification) cable up to 100m long between the dLive Surface and
MixRack gigaACE ports. Use two cables for redundancy if required.
 Refer to www.allen-heath.com for cable requirements, recommendations, and a list
of CAT5 cables available to order.

Switch on the MixRack first, then the Surface. The gigaACE Lnk/Err indicators flash at a steady rate when
the link is established. The red error indicator lights if a communication error is detected. Check that the
cables are correctly plugged in and are not faulty.
It takes around 30s for the Surface to take control and the touchscreen to be responsive.

4.2 Recall a Template Show

dLive has a fully configurable audio architecture, control layout and socket patching. We have provided a
set of Template Shows to give a choice of classic console formats to load as a quick starting point. These
present the familiar architecture and logical layout of well-equipped analogue consoles.
To load a Template Show go to the Utility / Show Manager screen, select one of the available Template
Shows, touch Recall and confirm.
 Recalling a Show overwrites all the system settings including the bus configuration,
control layout, current parameters, all Scenes and Library presets. If you want to
save the current settings then first Store them as a User Show.
 For more information please refer to the dLive Firmware Reference Guide available
for download at www.allen-heath.com.

4.3 Expander connection

Plug a touring grade CAT5e (or higher specification) cable up to 100m long between the DX Expander and
Surface DX port. Use two cables for redundancy if required.
 Refer to www.allen-heath.com for cable requirements, recommendations, and a list
of CAT5 cables available to order.

Switch on the DX Expander. The DX port Lnk/Err indicators flash at a steady rate when the link is
established. The red error indicator lights if a communication error is detected. Check that the cables are
correctly plugged in and are not faulty.

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4.4 Connect a laptop or wireless router
Connect a laptop, router or access point to either of the Network ports to use with dLive Editor or iOS apps.
Read the Release Notes and Help Files accompanying the software or apps for further information.
 dLive communicates over TCP/IP. All devices on the network including the MixRack
and Surface must have compatible IP addresses. Factory defaults are:
MixRack 192.168.1.70
Surface 192.168.1.71
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Gateway 192.168.1.254
For direct, wired laptop connections, set your laptop to a static, compatible IP
address, for example 192.168.1.10.
For wireless connections, set your router / access point to a compatible IP address,
for example 192.168.1.254, and its DHCP range to a compatible range of addresses,
for example 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200. Set any wireless laptop or mobile device
to DHCP / ‘obtain an IP address automatically’.

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5. Dimensions

B
728.5mm/28.7"

A
S3000 - 870mm/34.2"
113.1mm/4.5"
479.2mm/18.9"

S5000 - 1115.4mm/43.9"
S7000 - 1325.4mm/52.2"
352.9mm/13.9"

B
S3000 - 744.5mm/29.3"
S5000 - 990mm/39"
S7000 - 1200mm/47.3"
413mm/16.3"

64.2mm/2.5"

C
S3000 - 624.5mm/24.6"
S5000 - 870mm/34.3"
S7000 - 1080mm/42.5"

477.1mm/18.8"

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6. Technical specs
Inputs System

Mic/Line XLR Inputs Balanced XLR, +48V phantom power Measured balanced XLR in to XLR out, 20-20kHz, minimum Gain,
Pad out
Mic/Line Preamp Fully recallable Dynamic Range 110dB
Input Sensitivity -60 to +15dBu System Signal to Noise -92dB
Analogue Gain +5 to +60dB, 1dB steps Frequency Response 20Hz - 30kHz +0/-0.8dB
Pad -20dB Active PAD THD+N (analogue in to 0.0015% @ +16dBu output, 1kHz
out) 0dB gain
Maximum Input Level +30dBu (PAD in) Headroom +18dB
Input Impedance >4kΩ (Pad out), >10kΩ (Pad in) Internal operating Level 0dBu
Mic EIN -127dB with 150Ω source dBFS Alignment +18dBu = 0dBFS (+22dBu at XLR
output)
Phantom Power Per socket, internal or external Meter Calibration 0dB meter = -18dBFS (+4dBu at
indication phantom power sensing, triggered at XLR out)
24V

Digital Inputs AES3 2 Ch XLR, 2.5Vpp balanced Meter Peak indication -3dBFS (+19dBu at XLR out)
terminated 110 Ω
SRC on each pair, range 32k -
192kHz, with bypass option
Sampling Rate 96kHz +/- 20 PPM

Outputs ADC 24-bit Delta-Sigma

DAC 24-bit Delta-Sigma

Analogue XLR Outputs Balanced, Relay protected Latency 0.7 ms (MixRack XLR in to XLR out,
Input to Mix)
Output Impedance <75Ω + 5 samples, Surface to Mixrack
(GigaACE hop)
Nominal Output +4dBu = 0dB meter reading + 8 samples, DX32 to Mixrack (DX
hop)
Maximum Output Level +22dBu
Residual Output Noise -92dBu (muted, 20-20kHz) Operating Temperature 0 deg C to 35 deg C (32 deg F to 95
Range deg F)
-90dBu (muted, 20-40kHz) Mains Power (MPS16) 100-240V AC, 47-63Hz, 300W max
Digital Outputs AES3 2 Ch XLR, 2.5Vpp balanced
terminated 110 Ω
96kHz sampling rate, switchable to USB Audio playback Mono/stereo .WAV files, 16/24bit,
48kHz, 44.1kHz 44.1/48/96kHz
USB Audio recording Stereo .WAV files, 24bit 96kHz

Dimensions and
Weights
Width x Depth x Height x Weight Boxed Width x Depth x Height x Weight
S3000 870 x 728 x 413 mm (34.3"x 28.7"x S3000 1045 x 920 x 560 mm (41.1"x 36.2"x
16.3") x 28kg (62lbs) 22") x 41kg (90.4lbs)
S5000 1115 x 728 x 413 mm (43.9"x 28.7"x S5000 1290 x 920 x 560 mm (50.8"x 36.2"x
16.3") x 35kg (77lbs) 22") x 50kg (110.2lbs)
S7000 1325 x 728 x 413 mm (52.2"x 28.7"x S7000 1485 x 920 x 560 mm (58.5"x 36.2"x
16.3") x 41kg (90lbs) 22") x 56kg (123.5lbs)

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